City of God Photo portrait of gigantic Islamic boarding school in Indonesia

City of God Photo portrait of gigantic Islamic boarding school in Indonesia.

Lirboyo is a huge traditional ‘pesantren’ (Islamic boarding schools) in Indonesia. Located in Kediri, East Java, the boarding school is home to roughly 17,000 students, or ‘santri’. It was founded in 1910 by KH Abdul Karim. Its pupils and students spend their days reading the Quran, studying Islamic scriptures and learning Arabic. They have around 20 hours of activities daily, beginning at 4am and finishing at midnight.

A student holds prayer beadsUlet Ifansasti/GettyIndonesia is the world’s largest Muslim nation. Islam is one of six official religions of Indonesia, which also include Hinduism, Buddhism, Catholicism, Protestantism and Confucianism. In 2011, it was documented that approximately 203 million people identified themselves as Muslim, which was 87.2% of Indonesia’s total population at the time. Getty photographer Ulet Ifansasti visited the Lirboyo boarding in East Java and documented the lives of its students.

Students skullcaps are seen hanging on the wall with the Lirboyo founder pictures hanging aboveUlet Ifansasti/GettyStudents learn to write in ArabicUlet Ifansasti/GettyStudents learn Islamic scriptures on the roof topUlet Ifansasti/GettyA student helps cut his friends hairUlet Ifansasti/GettyStudents listen to their teacher durying their studiesUlet Ifansasti/GettyStudents learn Islamic scriptures on the roof topUlet Ifansasti/GettyA student smokes as they learn Islamic scripturesUlet Ifansasti/GettyStudents sleep inside their roomUlet Ifansasti/GettyA foot is seen poking out of a room as a student walks inside the dormitoriesUlet Ifansasti/GettyStudents prepare for a break in their fast during the holy month of RamadanUlet Ifansasti/GettyA student writes in Arabic as they learn Islamic scripturesUlet Ifansasti/GettyStudents read the Quran at ancestral gravesUlet Ifansasti/GettyStudents break their fast during the holy month of RamadanUlet Ifansasti/GettyA student looks out of a window from his roomUlet Ifansasti/GettyStudents skull caps are seen hanging inside a roomUlet Ifansasti/GettyAchmad Saputra, aged 9, looks out of a window from his roomUlet Ifansasti/GettyStudents walk in line after Friday prayersUlet Ifansasti/GettyA student prepares for night prayersUlet Ifansasti/GettyStudents shoes are seen as they prepare to perform Friday prayersUlet Ifansasti/GettyStudents perform Friday prayersUlet Ifansasti/GettyStudents take part in Friday prayersUlet Ifansasti/GettyA student after taking a bathUlet Ifansasti/GettyStudents take a showerUlet Ifansasti/GettyA student writes in Arabic as they are taught Islamic scripturesUlet Ifansasti/GettyStudents attend the islamic boarding schoolUlet Ifansasti/GettyStudents learn Islamic scripturesUlet Ifansasti/GettyA student walks around the islamic boarding schoolUlet Ifansasti/Getty